The Eyes Are the Windows to the Soul
by StarWarrior72
Summary: Vader can see the windows to Luke's soul, but Luke can't see Vader's. If Vader opens the door for his son, his master will see in too. Vader must choose between the ultimate deciding factors, his own safety or that of his family. Twoshot.
1. Chapter 1

Darth Vader paused outside the cell that held his son captive. _I am a Sith Lord, I care nothing for the boy! _he reminded himself

As Vader entered his small cell, Luke sat up. He was eager to see his father again. Their Force meetings had become so important to him and he thought that they might be important to his father too. Luke could reach out to his father at any time and Vader would send him warm feelings of love and comfort. Sometimes they would meet in dreams, other times it was just a gentle mental brush. It was always a good feeling. Once or twice Vader had sensed his son's pain and reached out to protect him from it.

Vader looked down at his son and tried to feel loathing towards him, sweet, innocent smile and all. It was impossible. But he had to do it.

The Emperor entered the cell after him. This was what the Emperor wanted to see. To watch Vader tear Luke apart at his command. It was a simple matter of telling Vader that he had sensed his meetings with his son in the Force. He had asked if Vader's loyalties might be stronger to his family than they were to the Empire and the Dark Side. Vader had sworn that they weren't. This was his chance to prove himself. It was simple, really. Torture and kill Luke. He would have to act as though he hated Luke, tear the boy apart and break his heart, and then feel his pulse stop.

Luke smiled hopefully up at Vader. He told himself that it was going to be Ok, that his father was there to protect him if the Emperor tried to hurt him. It wasn't working. He reached out in the Force for his father's gentle, reassuring touch.

Vader felt Luke's innocent need of family and bent down. He held Luke's head in both hands and reached out to the Force. He blocked away Luke's Force sensitivity, making it feel like it was torn away forever. Luke stared up at his father in horror as his connection with the galaxy was severed. After a few moments he was over the shock enough to start to cry hysterically.

"Why did you do that?" he managed to force out between the sobs.

"You have been invading my mind, now you can't." Vader felt his heart twist as his son looked at him with terrified eyes. He forced himself not to acknowledge that his son had the exact same expression Padme had had on Mustafar. He knew what he'd just done. He knew that he had betrayed Luke's naïve trust in him.

"I thought you loved me. You said that you loved me!"

"I never said anything. You triggered my emotions for an innocent baby you killed years ago, my son."

"What do you mean I killed him? I am your son! Please, you have to understand. I need you." Luke reached up to his father. He didn't know what had happened to his father. Just the day before, their minds had brushed and Vader had mentally comforted him. He had forgotten that the Emperor was in the cell too, all he saw was his suddenly cold father.

Vader reached down to his son and took the hand Luke offered him. Luke smiled and Vader knew that he had already forgiven him for seeming to betray him. Anakin's heart burned in Vader's chest as he continued to follow his master's commands to hurt the child. Vader twisted Luke's arm. He heard a crack. Inwardly he was crying out with his son, but on the outside all he could do was to let out a hiss of satisfaction and let go of his son's arm.

Luke clutched at his wrist and stared up at his father with wide eyes. This was not the same man who he had started to call "Daddy" subconsciously. This was Vader, not Anakin. Tears ran down his cheeks and he brushed them away, "Why?"

"Because you are worthless scum," Vader fought to snarl at the terrified child.

"I thought you loved me," Luke whimpered.

Vader forced a sound that was part laugh and part snarl. Picking his son up with the Force, he threw Luke at the wall. Luke slid down and fell into a crumpled ball. All Vader could think was, _I'm sorry. Oh, Luke, I'm so sorry. I never meant it to be like this. Forgive me, my son_.

Again the Dark Side of the Force grabbed Luke and threw him into the wall. Vader seemed so cruel again. He had started to seem almost human. Not anymore. Luke wished that he could reach out in the Force to sense whether or not Vader really hated him and meant all his cruel words.

The Emperor realized that there were ways to make this far more painful for both father and son. "Does Skywalker know what he did to his mother?" he asked. He cackled gleefully as he felt Vader's heart twist.

What was left of Vader's heart was torn by his master's words. Clearly he was implying that it had been Luke's birth that had killed Padme. Vader knew that it was not a suggestion to tell Luke this. His master wanted him to tell his son that all that had happened in the galaxy was his fault. It would destroy Luke. His son would never forgive himself. Vader would have killed his innocent little boy. He would have killed the last of his family. He had no choice. A voice inside him was screaming that he did, though. He ignored it.

"Do you know how your mother died?" he forced it out as a hiss.

Luke lay on the floor and stared up at his father in terror. He didn't want to know what Vader thought he'd done. He just wanted to feel his father's gentle touch in the Force. "I couldn't have done anything to her. I never even knew her." He croaked.

"Did you know the people on the Death Star? You killed them without knowing them." Vader watched his son's expression become suddenly guilty.

"Please, it was the only chance for my friends!"

"So your friends were more important than thousands upon thousands of people on the Death Star?"

Luke just whimpered as his father approached.

"You killed your mother, Boy. She died so you could live. If she'd known what you would turn out to be…" Vader felt sick as his son's innocent face crumpled helplessly.

Luke curled into a ball and tried to hide from his father. Tears ran down his cheeks and he couldn't hold them back.

"Do you know what else, Boy?"

Luke looked up and shook his head, terrified by his avid curiosity.

"You're the reason I turned to the Dark Side. How could I ever love a boy who killed my beloved Padme?"

Luke curled up again. He didn't want to see his father's cruel mask. He didn't want to see the Emperor's horrible, hideous, sadistic smile. He didn't want to see light. He had destroyed the galaxy. In the simple act of being born he had destroyed the galaxy. He didn't deserve to live. If he lived forever, he would never be able to mend his damage.

Would his friends even accept him, if they knew the truth? Would Leia just turn away from him in disgust? Would he never laugh with Han again? Had his aunt and uncle known? If they had, would they have taken him in? Ben had known, he was sure of that, but he had taken him under his wing anyway. But was that even such great comfort? Ben had lied to him, had wanted him to kill his own father.

Vader felt his son's helpless emotional turmoil and decided to distract him. The only way to do that without his master noticing what he was doing was to cause Luke more physical pain. Again he used the Force to fling his child into the wall again. This time was different, though. This time there was a crack.

Luke's emotional pain vanished into a sea of physical pain. As his agony tore through the Force even the Emperor stopped cackling.

"That's enough, Lord Vader. The brat can only take so much. Get up, Skywalker!"

Luke pushed himself into a sitting position and a look of terror dominated his face.

"I said get up, Boy!"

Luke tried again and tears started to roll down his cheeks, "I can't! I can't move my legs! It hurts, Father!" he reached one hand out to his father.

Vader forced himself to ignore the sobbing, broken, helpless child. He wasn't allowed to care for his son. If he went to the boy, his master would torture the boy a thousand times more cruelly than Vader could ever bring himself to. Tomorrow the boy's pain would be over. Tomorrow Luke would be safe with Padme.

In the meantime, Vader gritted his teeth and watched his son being dragged away, screaming in agony as his legs were jostled.


	2. Chapter 2

Luke lay limp on the floor of his cell. He wished his father would come to him and hold him, just for a moment. He didn't want to be hated. It hadn't been his fault that he was born. He just wanted to be held for a moment.

His legs wouldn't work at all. They hurt. His father didn't love him and wouldn't come for him. That hurt too. Nobody in their right mind would want him. He hurt and no one cared. He cried but no one came. He was cold and he couldn't even curl into a ball to stay warm.

It seemed like he stayed that way for an eternity but finally he heard his father's breathing and looked up. He told himself that he was being stupid, that Vader wasn't there for him, but he couldn't make himself believe it. His desperate need of love was enough that he just couldn't give up. As his father entered, he dragged himself into an upright position and smiled hopefully up at the older man.

Vader stared down at his son and felt the tearing in his heart again. Luke was still willing to forgive him. Even after all the torture and emotional agony that Vader had inflicted on the boy. He would still forget all his father's sins if Vader would draw him close.

Vader longed to hug and comfort his child, but the Emperor watched. This time he had chosen to remain out of sight, but he had promised that he would be observing Vader's every motion. There would be a heavy penalty for any kind of comfort he offered his son.

Vader knelt next to his son and the boy managed to drag himself onto his lap. Vader pushed him back off. Luke lay on the floor and looked at his father with huge, pleading eyes. Vader looked away. Luke lay still on the floor and tried not to notice his father's cold actions. Vader cried inwardly.

Vader reached in to a pouch on his belt and drew out a needle. He looked at it lying in his hand, seeming to innocent and harmless. This one needle and a bit of poison would be all it would take to end his child's life. His son would die at his hand. He reached back into his pocket and drew out a little vial of poison.

He rolled his son over and watched tears form in his eyes as he saw the poison. Vader had been hoping he wouldn't be able to recognize it. He had longed to be able to lie to his son that it would make him feel better. He had hoped that Luke would believe it, that maybe the boy would die thinking his father was trying to heal him. Maybe he would be happy for the last moments of his life.

He put the needle into the vial and drew out as much poison as it would hold. He wanted to stroke his baby's hair and comfort him, but he couldn't. It would just drag out his boy's pain. He pulled his son's sleeve back and started to insert the needle.

Luke pulled away, "Stop! Please, Father! Don't. Don't kill ME!" he sobbed.

Vader stared at his son in horror. The boy wasn't supposed to talk to him! How could he possibly respond? Luke's eyes were huge with terror. "I must." He tried to put the needle back into his son's skin, but Luke pulled away again.

"Please, I don't want to die! I'm scared." Luke was shaking.

"There is nothing to be afraid of. Boy," Vader added for good measure.

"What do you mean? Of course there is! Why wouldn't I be scared? Nobody alive would want me if they knew. Why would the dead be any different? Half of them are dead because of me!" Luke was hysterical.

_How can I respond to that? My child is going to die at my hand and he's scared that even when he's dead no one will care for him. How can I comfort my boy without my master knowing?_ he thought. Inspiration hit him. "Padme would love even scum like you," he told the boy.

"Who's Padme?"

Vader's heart twisted again. Luke didn't even know his mother's name. "Padme was my wife, your mother."

"Oh." Luke nodded doubtfully.

"Do you think that I would lie to you about this?" Vader hissed.

Luke blushed, "No. No, that's not what it was at all."

"Then what is it?" Vader growled out. He couldn't begin to guess what else might make his son act like this.

"It's just that you loved her. If you could love her, I don't see how she could love me. I mean, you hate me so much and…"

Vader wished his son hadn't spoken. He wished the boy had just let the needle slide under his skin and not spoken as the poison killed him. This was merely the last that Vader could take. He couldn't do it now. He couldn't just let his child die. He certainly couldn't kill him. It would be better to hold his boy as the Emperor killed both of them. He reached down and gathered his son in his arms.

Palpatine was absolutely livid. This was not going according to plan. Vader was supposed to have already given his son the fatal dosage by the time this happened. They should have already passed the point of no return. They hadn't. This wasn't going to work properly. He would simply have to intervene.

Luke stared up at his father. Vader might care. His father might really want him! Maybe he could fix the damage his birth had done the galaxy. Maybe he was the only person who could. His legs were twisted painfully, but he didn't mind. His father was holding him, cradling him close. That was all that mattered.

Vader looked up as the Emperor entered the cell.

"I am most displeased, Lord Vader. It was your job to kill the boy." He sighed, "I suppose I will have to do it for you." The Emperor gathered the Dark Side and tore the younger Skywalker out of his father's arms. When the boy was far enough away that it was extremely unlikely that any Force lightning would hit his father's delicate circuitry the Emperor allowed the lethal power to tear through the child.

Vader stared in horror as his son's little body twisted on the ground. On impulse he whirled and threw the needle that had been meant for his son at his master like a dart. The Emperor caught it in the Force and it shattered, spraying him with the poison. Vader stared in horrified fascination as the poison ate through his master's loose, scared skin.

Then he moved to his son's side, all thoughts of the Emperor forgotten. Even as he touched the boy's shoulder, Luke moaned.

"Easy Luke, it's over. It will be all right now," Vader tried to sooth his son. He reached out with the Force and undid the block that he had been commanded to create. Luke finally broke down crying in sheer relief. His father did love him. His Force presence eased the last of the terror from Luke's small frame.

"Are you feeling any better?" Vader asked his son in concern.

"I think I will be." Luke allowed his father to help him sit up. His eyes widened comically when he saw the Emperor's sizzling corpse. "What happened?"

Vader gathered his son in his arms and stood, "It seems the poison he gave me to give you was actually just a particularly corrosive acid."

Luke shivered at the implication.

"Don't worry, you're safe now. You're safe now, my son. I will have you healed and then we will leave the Empire so that I can be a true father to you without distractions."

Luke smiled up at his father and the trust in his eyes sealed the promise.


End file.
